Birdcage Evening Primrose
by Bonnie Lass Of The Outback
Summary: People have written tons of stories on what happens before and after OOT...but what about that little seven year gap? This is a rezzed version of an old story about a girl who just can't figure things out...and for a reason. RR!
1. Chapter One

Untitled Revised  
by Bonnie Lass  
  
A/N: Wow. It feels good to be back! Anyway...this is, basically, a story I started to write to back up my character, Juana. I have the plot all planned out in my head...most of it, anyway...and all I need to do to write 'em up, so expect updates often. BTW...as much as I praise and worship Lucinda's (anime animal) work, this is NOT an attempt to steal her characters! I've had Juana for a god awful long time...  
  
Disclaimer: Zelda is not mine. It's thepiccolopixie's. (I would like to state the fact that when she was helping me edit this, she said "No, no, silly goat, Link is mine." So now I'm Bonnie Lass of the Silly Goat Outback. Weee!)  
  
The little Gerudo was tired; very tired. The sun was just setting over Lake Hylia, turning the peaceful lake from its serene sapphire hue and bathing it with vibrant reds and oranges. She sat upon the headstone between the two bridges, her chin resting on her hand. Golden yellow tresses masked her eerily dull gray eyes, staring out blankly over the lake. Already baggy pants were even more so on her, a slight disadvantage, as she often tripped upon them. A gust of wind was soon to pass, and it sent a shiver down her spine. Already, she wished she were back in the warmth of Gerudo Fortress. Generally, it was colder here than at the Fortress, at night. A small, delicate hand clutched the side of the stone as a bone-chilling howl pierced through the air. The water was now a massive scab of black, and the moon had not even so much as risen to aid as a lantern for the travelers. She did not care, however. She knew Hyrule like the back of her hand--most of it, anyway--thanks to her mischievous adventures. She had sneaked into Kokiri Forest and set bombs around the Know-It-All Brothers' house, thrown pebbles at Zoras, and bombs at rolling Gorons. She was a troublesome little one, yes, but she couldn't help it. After all, it was how she was raised...  
  
"GIRL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE AT THIS HOUR?!"  
  
Ashen eyes rolled skyward at the all too familiar voice. Once in the horizon, it wasn't long before she found the source of the shrill speech. It seemed like an almost halloween-ish, menacing figure, floating there in the sky. It was coming towards her, some might say quickly, but to the little one, it was actually calmly slow. It was not long before she was beside her. She was...well, she wasn't the prettiest thing in the world. With about three teeth to show, wrinkled and pouted lips, and what almost looked like a turban upon her head, the witch-like figure hovered next to the girl.  
  
"Do you have any idea what time it is?! Get back to the Fortress, right now!"  
  
She stared out at the water a bit more, blinking blankly. Countless days she had spent out here, in reality, simply staring at the water, throwing pebbles across the surface...her eyes rolled to the rather old one aside her, and spoke, softly, but with quite a bit of acidity in her voice.  
  
"What if I don't want to?"  
  
There was a silence between the two. The elder swung in front of her on top of a broom that must have been as old as she and narrowed her eyes. It was almost as if they were having a staring contest. Suddenly, the witch stopped, and covered her three-toothed-mouth with her hand, laughing. "Hee hee hee! You must have gone crazy, girl!" She shook her head, as the hand went back to the splintery wooden handle. "Now come. I'm not playing games with you tonight, girl."  
  
There was another moment of silence, as the child had drifted off, seemingly, once more. She stared onwards the now rising moon, and gave a small sigh.  
  
"I'm not coming. Not with you. I don't like you."  
  
The witch, immediately, looked enraged. Her eyes had narrowed once more, and what showed was an angry, flaming red. The hand that once covered crinkled old lips in amusement now grasped the little girl's hand, rather forcefully, and yanked her onto the broom, almost immediately taking off thereafter. The juvenile Gerudo grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest unhappily. As they were ascending to the waterfall, she caught sight of something green in the corner of her eye. Immediately, she registered it as a Tektite, and pulled out her bag of Deku Nuts. But Tektites in these areas were not green...she had never even seen a green Tektite. No. The ones here were blue. So what was that below? Losing sight quickly at the speed the witch was moving, she squinted her eyes. It was difficult to make out...and what in Din's name was that white thing? It wasn't a Guay, because Guay were purple...had the Gerudo child been out in the sun too long? But it was too late for further investigation. Already, there were in the Valley, and quickly going towards the Fortress. Her mind still on the mystery objects she had seen upon exiting the lake, she didn't notice exactly where they were before she felt herself being slung in that all too familiar cell. The grated metal door slammed behind her, and she swung around, just in time to see the sorceress depart, muttering and mumbled and shaking her fist in the air. A soft sigh escaped parted tiers, as she backed up against the utmost corner, slipping to a squatting position. It'd be a while until the witch let her out.. So she leaned her head against the wall, and closed her eyes. If the answer to what she had seen in Lake Hylia did not come while she was asleep, she'd go back tomorrow and find out herself.  
  
It was well into the morning, and the girl was still in the locked in the cell, currently attempting to pick the lock open with a blue Rupee she had found in one of the jars within the confinement. One would think she would be sleepy, but no, she was wide awake. Occasionally, she'd set the Rupee down and bawl, hoping to catch the attention of one of the guards. But they knew better than to help her when she was locked in, and did not come to her aid. No doubt, one of her stupid stepmothers would come into the room, and start cussing at her. What else was new? They were both four hundred years old, anyway.   
  
A resounding click echoed through the room. Oh, the acoustics in that room were awful! The door swung open with a loud squeal. She grasped the bar to silence it, and stood in her position for a good few minutes, before slipping out. A blink was given as she glanced about the given area. Now how the hell was she going to get out? It was a very good question, indeed. With the guards all about, she just knew that Din-forsaken stepmother of hers told all the posts to watch for her, but that was all right. This girl had experience! The Goddesses knew how many times she had crept her way out of that cell. She gave a small grin, and walked out the passageway immediately to her left, throwing the Rupee in the air, which would soon lodge itself in the eye socket of the cattle skull that adorned the exit.  
  
She cursed her luck at the position the witch had placed her; she would find herself smack dab in the middle of the Fortress. She took cover behind a crate, staring outwards. Never had she been in THAT cell before, and she didn't know how the guards were arranged at that perspective. She could see a guard that crossed her immediate route to the exit, and one on either side. Her brow furrowed in frustration as her mind attempted to memorize the pattern of the guard's paces. Their posts never switched, she knew by experience that only the older guards switched positions, and they weren't assigned posts in which they had to move to maneuver. After a good three minutes of watching the pacing Gerudo with intense observation, she hoped she was ready...maybe, if she was lucky, they wouldn't even see her! She took a deep breath into her lungs as she sidestepped between the pairs of cartons. Clamping eyelids shut, she took yet another breath, before running as fast as her miniscule, bare feet could carry her. The loss of balance she acquired after stumbling over a rock imbedded in the sands would soon lead to an acceleration she did not desire. Eyes still closed, she felt her bare feet scraping against the pebbles embedded in the burning sands of the fortress floor. And then...wham!! She immediately fell down after hitting head on with a wall...what wall, she did not know. She did know her head was starting to hurt quite a bit, though. She fell backwards onto her back, and stared at the sky, awaiting the guards to come and put her back in the cell. But a funny thing happened, then...no one came. She lay there for a good five minutes, breathing a bit heavy from both the temporary, small rise of adrenaline, as well as her now throbbing cranium...but no one came. She turned her head to the side, and blinked, seeing the high walls of the valley. She was out! She would have done a victory dance, but the pains in her head would have made her dizzy all over again. Rising to her feet, the young Gerudo would begin to walk, rather nonchalantly, to the valley. She got there...and froze. She had forgotten about the other three guards that constantly stood watch at the gates! Oh well. It was no problem. There was a large collection of rocks to the side, and she could easily crouch behind them...and she did just that. Waiting until the guard that came closer to her turned her back, she took another deep breath before jumping off the ledge, head first.  
  
The Gerudo always told Juana not to jump off the high edge of the waterfall... most of them told her not to jump at all, she could have cared less. It was tons more fun, and a long wait until the exhilaration of colliding with the surface of the rushing water was guaranteed excitement. She imagined all sorts of things as she sliced through the air. She had watched horseback archery many a day, and pretended she was an arrow, pressing her arms against her sides. She always found it a source of amusement to toss Cuccos over the edge, but it was difficult to be one, because they could fly, and she could not. She had tried, none the less, broken bones as consequences. She was eager to continue her brief investigation from yesterday, however, and didn't imagine much of anything as she descended to the depths of the valley, except what could possibly await her in the lake. She was soon awakened though with what almost felt like a blow to the head as she hit the water. The current was rapid, but not white water, so she was not tossed about violently like she would have been in that sort of circumstance. Instead, the waterfall easily carried her into the lake. When she arrived there, she quickly swam out of the water. Her clothing was absolutely soaking wet, once baggy pants now clinging tightly to her legs, hair clumped messily atop her head, dripping onto her shoulders and back. Though the extra weight of the water slowed her down, it did not stop her as she raced down the bridge. Leaning on the post, she stared over the edge, and saw...nothing. There was nothing on the surface of the water but tektites. She was patient, however...slightly...and stepped backwards, leaning against the tombstone. Like the day before, she would wait.  
  
Minutes turned into hours, hours turning into a decent part of the day, and a decent part of the day soon became night. She was growing very tired, and rather impatient. Perhaps this thing came on an every other day basis? She truly didn't know, and it was getting cold. Her clothes had dried, but that made no difference... these clothes were made for warm weather, and it was far below the temperature she was used to. With a sigh, she trudged off the bridge. It creaked weakly beneath her feet. She began towards the gate, but sighed. She was not quite yet ready to return home...she knew it'd be a harsh punishment for her, and she wouldn't be surprised if a deku stick were involved. The waters of the lake lapped gently. onto her feet, almost inviting her to take another swim, but it was too cold for that. She was just about to leave, before a soft splash rang through her ears. It sounded like a Tektite, and she was quick to dismiss it, but was surprised to hear soon after, footsteps. Human footsteps. She glanced over the corner of her shoulder, and blinked, before her eyes widened.  
  
There was a BOY in front of her! She had never, ever seen a boy before in the entirety of her life. She took well into her eyes his figure...he was still small, though taller than her. Carrot blonde hair threatened to block his eyes, but it did not, and she could easily glance upon amazingly blue orbs. He had an awkward little hat on his head, and held a small sword in his hand...small or not, she was surprised. She had never seen anyone her age carry a sword before...then again, she had never seen anyone her age. She immediately noted the garment he wore as a tunic--she had seen them before--a large shirt, this one green, with a belt around his waist. White stockings hid his legs, and neat little boots covered his feet. He looked to her, and furrowed. She noticed how the arm that held the sword began to rise, and she put a hand on her hip.  
  
"That's your hello? You're going to threaten to slash my head off as a greeting?"  
  
The boy blinked. The arm lowered, returning the bladed weapon to its sheath, though he kept his hand curled lightly, as though he were ready to remove it at any moment. A slight frown danced upon his features, an action that didn't seem to please the girl. Self-consciously, though unconsciously, she fussed with her hair...but only made the mop of dark blonde tresses messier. The same hand that had risen to fuss with her hair would soon be the same one swatting at something in front of her. She assumed it was a fly, hearing a light buzz and seeing the tell-tale bug-like wings. She couldn't see the rest of its body, however, as it glowed purple. The boy in front of her gave a light chuckle, and took a step back. Immediately, the thing that hovered over her head would find itself back at the green hat's seams.   
  
"...was that yours? Tell that dust infected fly to stay away from me!"  
  
Again, the boy laughed. Shaking his head lightly, he turned to the side, and began to walk towards the lab, presumably to the bridge. Persistent as she was...she had spent the majority of her day waiting for whom she assumed was this boy, after all...she quickened her pace until she was at his side, and had to look up to get a good view of his eyes. She had seen nothing like them in her life...all of the Gerudo had brown or amber eyes...of course, her own eyes were a slightly awkward emerald green, but she basically ignored that fact. She was just special like that. But his eyes were a shocking, almost icy blue, and she didn't quite understand why he had such a hue in those sparkling twins. It was one of the sad results of the sheltered life she had lead. Pulling her gaze away from his eyes, she'd then look to the ground for another target for her curiosity, and decided to ask a slightly friendlier question to get the boy to speak.  
  
"You were here yesterday night, weren't you?"  
  
While her eyes stood glued to the ground, his own would raise to glance at her. Staying far away enough that Navi would not bother her...he had easily noticed she didn't enjoy his guardian's fairy's presence, but at times, neither did he, so he wasn't one to speak....he responded.   
  
"Yeah."  
  
Oh! He spoke! So he's not mute, then! A look of content found its way onto her face. She was pleased that she had gotten him to speak, even if it was only one word. It was good he had responded, for she was beginning to get the common Gerudo conception that all males were assholes. She had so been following him, obliviously, she didn't even realize they were walking towards the midsection of the bridge until halfway through another statement.  
  
"I saw something yeste...OH MY GODDESSES THAT IS ONE BIG ASS BIRD!"  
  
She froze, and in turn, so did he, not quite catching what she was talking about. He looked forward, to see a rather large bird, indeed, sitting on the headstone. It was far taller than both of them, a dirty brown owl. He sighed, and shook his head, continuing what was a slightly quick pace.  
  
"Don't worry. It's just the stupid owl."  
  
"...oh."  
  
Quick steps returned the Gerudo to the Hylian's side, though she kept her gaze no longer on the floor, but this rather large avian. The boy seemed to show little hesitance to its presence...he had probably encountered it before, she presumed. He walked right up to it, and tapped the massive talons upon its feet. The head of the bird turned towards him, and cocked to the side.  
  
"You've come a long way to get here, Link."  
  
So THAT was the boy's name. Link. She thought it sounded stupid...of course, she could not talk, when she came from a place where almost everyone was named after a jewel or some precious metal. Link...she let the one syllable word play on her lips for a bit, before shaking her head, returning her attention to the conversation in front of her, relieved not to hear the infamous call of her guardians.   
  
"This lake's water is pure and clear. The Zoras have a temple beneath the water..."  
  
Blah, blah, blah. The Gerudo was rapidly becoming bored of the owl's words. She nudged Link with an elbow, but he simply shook his head...she noticed he wasn't paying much attention to what the bird was saying either, and she was pleased to know she wasn't alone in her opinions. A wrist went to her waist once more, now tapping her toes impatiently...she was surprised to hear that the owl was still droning on.  
  
"Would you like to hear what I said again, Link?"   
  
"...I think I'll pass."  
  
"I'm on my way to the Castle. Hop on if you're coming."  
  
And alas, being that she was paying no attention, she would almost miss the boy climbing into the owl's talon's. She had been awakened from her day dream by the heavy flaps of the owl's wings. Eyes widened as she noticed the two beginning to lift off. Without thinking, she made a made scramble to hold onto some part, any part, of the bird's body...this would mean his tail feathers. Both hands clung for dear life to the very last feathers on the animal, as it lifted into the air. Link seemed to be unbothered...but she was rapidly loosing her cool. She gulped, eyes closed as she tilted her head backwards.  
  
"Don't look down...don't look down...goddesses, don't look down..."  
  
Link laughed, this one full fledged, unlike the one he emitted while she had been swatting the fairy away. He looked back at her as they ascended far higher, in order to clear both the laboratory and the gates to the lake, and looked as though he were about to say something, but withdrew it as he shook his head. She would not have noticed anyway, as she was holding on in obvious utter fear. When she did finally open those cloudy gray eyes...Link was no more, and she was rapidly headed towards Hyrule Castle.  
  
"Hey...hey, put me down!"  
  
"Oh! Sorry, little one. I had forgotten about you."  
  
The owl was quick to land near the newly opened Happy Mask Shop, though it was now closed until the morning. She let go, glad to feel solid ground beneath her feet, ignoring the obvious out of place sound of the drawbridge slamming against the stairs in front of the little town...nor did she hear the first set of hoof beats that would come past her that night. She was too busy yelling at the parting bird.  
  
"STUPID OWL!"   
  
A grimace would cross her face as she crossed her arms over her chest, watching as the owl flew away. She looked around...it was sad, but true, she had never been in Hyrule Castle Town before. To her left, she saw what looked like a run down old cathedral. She blinked lightly at the building, and was about to turn heel to enter it, when she heard hoof beats, the second pair...the first had long passed her. She turned her head in enough time to see a black steed pass her. She thought it was beautiful, and was about to walk after it, instead, until she saw what rode on it. The first to catch her eyes was the fiery red hair, followed by a burgundy, almost blood stained cloak billowing in the wind. She walked backwards, watching as the steed came to a stop. Eyes drifted from the figure whose face she still could not see down to the one she could...Link's. The two seemed to be immersed in conversation, until she saw the Hylian withdrawing his sword once more, shield held on his opposite arm. She was about to walk forward, but was again interrupted as a low, monotone chuckle rang through her ears. Hesitant and confused, a step was taken backwards. Had she not heard that laugh before? She couldn't remember where, but it was certainly familiar. She strained to hear the conversation, but the only thing to find its way to her ears was that quiet laugh. Her attempts to recall the sound were soon replaced by a far greater concern, to her-the boy's safety. She watched the mysterious steed's rider raise his hand...from behind, she could not tell what he was doing, but she heard Link's cry as he flew back a good two feet. Clearly, the man had released some sort of energy orb that remained unseen to the girl. That was enough to push her forward at a fairly slow pace, but soon quickened her pace as the stallion and it's rider rode off. Link saw her running towards him, and stepped back, assuming she was going to hug him or something, but she passed right by him.  
  
"Hey...where are you going?"  
  
Still running, she looked to him over her shoulder. A dismissive shake of her head accompanied her words. "I have to follow him! I'll just see you tonight, OK?" And with that, she continued what was seemingly a useless chase on her part. Link shrugged, turning his back to her disappearing form, not to mention towards the bridge, or rather, on its side. He had seen the Princess throw something into the moat...  
  
Meanwhile, the girl was still running. Years of being reluctant and constantly chased by other Gerudo, not to mention her stepmothers, had boosted her sprinting ability...but she was not fast enough to chase, much less catch up with a mustang going at a full gallop. It was ten minutes or so before she gave up, leaning against the ranch wall. Eyes were closed, lips parted as she took heavy gulps for air. She had lost track of the horse, anyway, and her lungs were burning, dying for air.  
  
"...shouldn't you be in the valley?"  
  
Eyes opened, groggily. She had heard this millions of times from Hylians, and didn't take it in surprise...but she did, this time, once eyes recognized the stallion rider. Still breathing quite heavily, she stared up...quite up. The stallion was huge, but its rider was enormous, compared to the small girl. She could see his face, now, which too held an eerie similarity, much like the laugh from earlier. She opened her mouth to speak, but not a word emerged, and her mouth remained open. Again, the man gave that chuckle.  
  
"Feisty, aren't you? It's no wonder you didn't die, as well..."   
  
He clicked his heels at the stallion's side. It gave a whinny, and was soon to depart, heading back towards the castle. She wasn't about to let this alone this time, and, as exhausted as she was, followed. Her feet were beginning to hurt, and she wouldn't be surprised if there were a few splinters she would have to remove when she got home. But this was too much for her to just ignore, and she had to investigate. Still stumbling, she came back to the same town she had been in earlier...but the stallion and its rider had evaded her once more. A sigh escaped her lips. She looked around, praying there was some innocent bystander who had seen the events unfold as she did, but she saw no one. Wandering feet would carry her into the alleyways. She did not bother with the doors, people inside would not have known what had happened. She did, however, see a soldier sitting, or rather, propped against the wall. She approached him, putting her hands on her knees and bending over, still attempting to catch her breath. The solider rose his head, weakly, and looked to the girl before him.   
  
"Di...di...did the boy get the item Princess Zelda threw in the moat for him? The desert man...he must not get his hands on it..."  
  
She blinked, and shook her head. A hand rose to brush her hair out her face, hoping to get a better look at the soldier. He was wearing armor, though it looked torn on his side, as though something had simply eaten its way through. It was bloody, there...she had never seen a wound of such mammoth proportions. She had skinned her knees plenty of times, and even broke her arm once, but she had never seen anything this bad. Gingerly, she touched the soldier's side. He winced, and she watched as he leaned his head against the wall. Quickly, she pulled her hand away.   
  
"I don't know what you're talking about...what happened to you?"  
  
Her breathing had bettered, but the soldier's had not. He had not yet opened his eyes since she approached him, and kept them clenched in obvious pain. His breathing was raspy, and irregular. She took notice of it, but just didn't understand why. He opened his mouth to speak, but it took quite some time for the words to emerge.  
  
"The moat...the ocarina...Princess...the desert man...Ganondorf...don't talk to him...please...be careful..."  
  
Suddenly, the hand that held the staff-like weapon loosened, dropping with a clang at his side. The head that rested against the wall dropped to his chest, and the hampered breathing ceased to exist. Confused and slightly frightened, a bent finger would find the soldier's chin, lifting his head up slowly. His eyes were still closed, so that was no improvement, but they were no longer clenched...simply closed. She shuddered lightly, suddenly realizing what had just occurred. She let his head droop once more, and backed away, slowly, slinking out of the alleyways.  
  
As she walked through Hyrule, aimlessly, she pondered on the last hour's occurrences. The curious little outcast had now seen death in the second hand persona, whereas before she had yet to even hear of it. Death was kept a "secret" in the Gerudo civilization, and no one wished to speak on it. And she now had an almost endless supply of questions. But she was not ready to head back to the valley just yet...she would get picked up that night, after hopefully meeting Link once more. She could judge by the pink hue of the sky that night was soon to come, and she was expecting company quite soon. 


	2. Chapter Two

A/N: Took me damned long enough, huh? Heh. Kinda lost my inspiration, sorry. I'm back now, though, and I promise the next chapter won't take anywhere NEAR as long. In fact, I did a few tweaks on the first chapter, so you might wanna check that out -- nothing vital, though, don't worry. Enjoy the chappie, expect another one soon, and R/R, I'm BEGGIN' ya!

Chapter Two

The young girl walked seemingly without purpose throughout the massive area known only as Hyrule Field. She, however, knew exactly where she was going - straight ahead, around the ranch, over the two fences, to Lake Hylia. As the piercing glare of the setting sun didn't assault her eyes like it usually did, at first, she had the impression that she was too late, that Link had long since come and gone. Her emerald hues glanced upwards, to the sky. She stopped abruptly, freezing in her tracks, at what she saw. There was a single, dark cloud covering the entirety of Hyrule, and maybe even more, as far as the eye could see. Lightning streaked across the thick black haze, but there was no rain threatening - she would have smelled it if there had been. "Wow…" she whispered quietly, eyes still directed upward. She had never seen the sky so dark before…it was as if it were night already. She never stopped looking, held captive by the dark beauty of the eerie heavens.

Perhaps, if she were paying more attention to her surroundings, she would have heard the twisted laughter behind her, the hobbled, rickety, dragged steps along the lush Hyrulean grass. She wouldn't have been caught off guard; and yet, she was. She gave a sudden yelp, abruptly falling the ground, clutching her shoulder. As she looked over her shoulder, a terrified paralysis crept over her, nothing like the awed immobile state she owned a few moments ago. Her gaze met with one that originated from fiery, dark, and empty pits. The soulless eyes belonged to a jawless skull, the skull attached to a body that was nothing but a skeleton. The monster drew its arm up, the swung down at the child with long, claw-like nails, coming nearly a millimeter too far from slicing her skin. Fear seizing her, she screamed, shuffling backwards as the monster struck out at her once more. She retained her grip on her left shoulder, even as she felt warm liquid trickling down her arm. Again, the monster struck out at her, and again, she hurried back without standing up. She planned to do the same again, just as her back banged against something. She looked upwards, seeing the leafy branches of a tree, and before she could redirect her gaze, the piercing pain originated in another spot, her right arm, the one she had had out in defense. Luke warm crimson fluid dripped down her skin here, too, almost immediately after the attack. As she looked to her assaulter, she saw that there was another of it's kind behind it, backing it up in a sense. She screamed again, scrambling to her feet and hurrying off, her feet instinctively carrying her to the Valley. Her steps abruptly halted, however, as a third skeleton monster, this one larger than the other two, emerged from the ground directly in front of her. Yet another ear splitting scream was voiced, this one loud enough to make the beast stop in hesitance. She turned back the other way with her eyes clenched shut, running blindly. She didn't open them until she could no longer hear the monster's slow steps, and kept running, hurrying for shelter, straight into the first haven she saw. Her left arm reached out, instinctively, but it only renewed the pain from the first attack. She winced, and used the right to hurriedly turn the knob to the door that stood before her - where it led, she would only be now founding out - pulling it back, speedily stumbling in, and slamming it behind her. 

Carefully leaning her right shoulder against the wood, her breathing came out in harsh, ragged breaths. Tears welled in wide, terrified ashen eyes, quick to spill down her cheeks. Never had she been in Hyrule Field late enough to have an encounter with the monsters that emerged from the shadows at night. She kept her hold on her wound, even as the blood still spilling from out the gashes, coating the fingers that covered it with thick maroon fluid. Slowly, she slipped to the ground, in a fit of sobs and severe gasps for air. Suddenly, more than ever, she wished she had just stayed in her cell.

No sooner after she had begun to catch her breath, she heard footsteps outside. She opened her eyes, having closed them. Frantic whispers crept underneath the door, loud enough for her to hear bits and pieces. 

"Don't go, Daddy, it might be a monster…"

"Shhh. Stay…I don't hear…"

With a grimace of pain, she pushed herself up using both arms, standing steady, but tiredly, on her feet. Her eyes were an odd, pallid green, like the leaves of the plants underneath Death Mountain, covered in ashes. 

"Daddy, please, no…!"

The young speaker's words were cut off as the door swung open, revealing an unhealthily large man. His nose took up more than a third of his face, an unkempt brown beard and mustache beneath it. He held a dagger in his hand, and his eyes were furrowed as he looked over the small Gerudo's head. "Who's der?! Show yerse-whaaaaa?!" His gaze moved down a foot or so, to meet with the now determined jade eyes of the child before him. She balled both her hands into fists, glaring up at him.

"Don't you hurt me! If you do, you'll be sorry! So…so don't come any closer!"

_"Daddyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!"_

For the first time, she saw the source of the smaller voice. A young girl stood behind the man, clutching a medallion she wore around her neck. Bright red hair fell to her waist. Eyes wide with fright, she moved back two worried steps. The man in front of glanced back to the terrified red headed child, then forward. The wounded, but unmoving child eyed him as though she were ready to challenge him.

"I said don't come any closer!"

"Easy, now, little one…no one's goin' ta' be hurtin' anyone 'ere tonight. Calm down, now. What're ya doin' 'ere? We don't open 'til the mornin', yer too late if ya want any milk…oh, look at ya', yer in a bloody awful shape…"

The man took a cautious step forward. Both girls took a step back, in opposite directions. The clearly braver one seemed to growl, eyes swirling with a bluish sea green. "MY NAME IS JUANA RUBY DRAGMIRE AND I'M A GERUDO AND IF YOU COME ANY CLOSER I'M GONNA PUT A CURSE ON YOU!"

**_"DADDYYYYYYYYYYYY!"_**

"Malon, shhh, shhh!" The man got down on one knee, outstretching a hand. "Come on. You must be right hurt; yer bleedin' an' everything…come on. No ones gonna curse no ones. Let's get you cleaned up, now." The outstretched hand waved towards its owner, beckoning Juana forward. She shook her head, taking another step back.

"I don't want nobody's help."

"But you need it. Look 'ere, yer still bleedin'…was 'at you out there screamin' yer 'ead off? There are lots o' creepie crawlies all over the place nowadays, ya gotta be careful…yer parents must be worried blue in the face 'bout ya, now, little missy. And…" He put the dagger back in the boot, in hopes of looking less threatening. "It's not nice, ta be marchin' 'round statin' yer a Gerudo. Those are some right nasty folks an' you shouldn't pretend ta be one of 'em."

"But I **am**." She whined it, far from the threatening tone she was trying to achieve. Either way, she seemed to be only humoring the man. Why wasn't he afraid of her? Wasn't she every bit as threatening as a full-grown Gerudo? He should have been trembling…so when he started to chuckle, she stomped her foot. Her eyes were a deep cobalt blue. "I am I am I am I am I AM!"

"Silly thing, yer not a Gerudo. They all gots red 'air, see? Like Malon 'ere. C'mere, Mal'." He reached back, pulling the petrified red headed child forward. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at Juana. They were both of equal size, and even had similar features, save for their strikingly different hair. But something the man had said ticked the Gerudo off. Her fists shook with fury, and she stomped forward two steps, enough to make Malon cry and squirm away, running back outside.

"So I'm not a Gerudo cuz I don't got red hair like everyone, huh?! So that's what everyone says, huh?! I'll show you!" She reached into her shirt, pulling out a pendant, attached to a leather cord, tied around her neck. She held it forward like it was a golden rupee, eyes ablaze with an angry blue fire. It was a miniature cattle skull, adorned with several small feathers. "See?!?! See that?!?! That's my medallion and only Gerudos have one! So see?! I'm a Gerudo, too! I'm specialer than they are cuz I'm better and I'm smarter and everything!" By the end of her rant, she was back to panting the way she had been when she ran in. The man before her remained silent, and the only sound was Malon's terrified whimpers. Satisfied that their silence meant their respect, she grumbled a sound of approval and shoved the necklace back into her shirt. "And I'm not 'right nasty'. I'm better than you are." Upon finishing, she crossed her arms over her chest. It was then that she remembered her wounds. They were still bleeding heavily, as if the five-minute interval between when she got them and that moment had been deleted. She winced, clenching her eyes shut, as they once again grew watery. "Ow…"

"…See? Yer hurt. C'mon. We gotta get some bandages on ya', whether yer a Gerudo or a Goron. My name is Talon, and this 'ere is my daughter Malon. Say 'i, Mal'." Malon peeked out from behind her father's leg, frowned, and inched back.

"…Hi."

"I'm not gonna wear your stupid bandages! I told you I'm FINE!" And even as the words angrily tumbled from her mouth, she stumbled weakly, as if dizzy. The blood loss, though minimum, was getting to her. Juana wobbled a bit more, before leaning against the wall, furrowing her brow and watching a Cucco waddle by.

"You can 'ave some milk, if ya'd like…"

"I don't want any of your nasty milk. It tastes weird…" her words slowly lost their acidity, as well as their volume level. She fell to her knees, an action that didn't look very voluntary. Talon stood up, slowly moving towards her. She gave no verbal or physical complaint…she couldn't. Her exhaustion and the wounds had taken their toll, and with barely another sound, she fell limp in Talon's arms - he had taken advantage of her exhaustion to pick her up. He beckoned a still very hesitant Malon inside, and closed the door behind her. She watched the unconscious Gerudo child warily. 

"See, Daddy? I _told_ you it was a monster."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Juana finally awoke, it was with a groggy consciousness. She rubbed at her eyes with her one of her wrists, propping herself up with the other.

"Ah! Be careful 'ow ya' move that arm."

Practically scratching the sleep out of her eyes, she looked up at Talon dazedly. He glanced to her over his shoulder, chuckling. "Yer a right tough little booger, ain't 'cha? Wouldn't even let me put them bandages on ya' in yer sleep. Right tough." He walked out of her field of view for a moment, though continued talking. "Sorry 'ah had ta' put ya' in the stables. Me 'n' Mal', we only got two beds in the otha' buildin', an' I couldn't think o' anyplace else ta' put ya'." For the first time since she had awoken, she noticed her surroundings. She was in the middle of a large pile of hay, and though it was bristly, it was surprisingly warm and comfortable. Her body had gotten accustomed to sleeping on stone floors, and this was a pleasant change.

"Ingo'll be comin' in soon. Be wary o' 'im, 'e's not 'zactly a faerie, yanno." He said it with another warm chuckle, walking past her while holding a bundle of hay in front of him. "Lemme feed the 'orses in the field 'n' dem damn cows in the back room, 'n' then I'll take ya' 'ome on one o' dem mares we got." Juana flared her nostrils lightly at his words, not quite catching all of them. She leaned forward, watching the tubby man waddle his way out of the stables and close the door behind him.

"People out here sure do have funny accents." The words were said with a sigh as she leaned against the side of the stable, against her left shoulder. There was a dull pain because of the action, but nothing more. Something clicked in the back of her mind, something she was supposed to do… _What,_ though? She racked her brain, trying to remember what it was she had been so bent on doing last night. "Link!" It came to her like a ton of bricks. She slapped her forehead with her hand, and dragged it down her face. How could she forget? That had been of utmost importance to her last night; that was why she snuck out the fortress. With a heavy sigh, she flopped back amidst the hay. _Maybe he forgot, too…_

"Daddy says to go outside."

When Juana sat up, she was face to fact with the girl from last night that had been so utterly terrified of her. She held an empty bucket in one hand and a towel in the other, and was watching Juana with a look of heavy condemnation.

"Well? What are you looking at **me** for? Go outside so Daddy can take you back to where you belong, nasty Gerudo."

Juana narrowed her eyes. "Who're you callin' nasty?"

"You, stupid stupid-head."

"Oh yeah, booger brain?"

"Yeah, doggie poo!"

"Cucco butt!"

"Tektite lips!"

Juana rolled her eyes the other way, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "Stupid. Tektites don't have lips. You're so stupid, I bet if you entered a stupid contest, you'd win!" 

Malon gasped as if she had been gravely insulted. She was shaking so fiercely, the bucket in her hand rattled. The towel was quickly dropped to the floor as the infuriated child pointed vehemently at the door. "Get outta my ranch!"

"Fine! I don't wanna be in your stinky old ranch anyway!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!" 

"Fine!"

"'Ey, 'ey, what's goin' on 'ere…?" Talon hurried into the stable, straw in his hair and a confused look on his face, but he was far too late. Juana stormed past him, stomping out the stables and the ranch. Malon's final "FINE!" was ignored by the Gerudo, as she resolutely grumbled that she would NEVER return to Lon Lon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Whaddya mean, you can't find the kid?!"

There was a collection of Gerudos around Juana's cell, five very angry looking women. Three of them were arguing amongst themselves, apparently accusing each other, cursing and yelling at each other in their own language. The other two were on the side, speaking in common Hylian to one another. They, too, seemed to be having an argument.

"We looked all over the fortress, Nabooru. We can't find her anywhere."

"Looked HARDER! You know Mistress Koume said she wasn't at the Lake, and she doesn't go anywhere else but there at night! Honestly, how hard can it be to find a blonde Gerudo?!"

"Hard enough that we've been looking for an hour and we STILL can't find the brat!"

"Fine. Whatever." Nabooru waved a dismissive hand in the air, moving towards the exit. "You know what the prophecies say. Hurry up and find her. When Mistress Koume comes back and she's not in her cell, though, it's your ass." 


End file.
